In August 2023, New America, a left-leaning think tank, issued its most recent Varying Degrees report. Among their findings from a nationally normed survey is that 70% of Americans believe those with a college degree earn more than high school graduates.
Only 53% of those surveyed believe that higher education is affordable. Financial aid for low-income students has not kept up with higher education’s increasing costs. The decrease in state funding pushed more costs to families. According to the report, 92% of Americans believe that more transparency is needed about colleges’ return on investment.
Approximately 74% of Americans believe colleges should lose access to federal funds if graduates do not earn a living wage. Something tells me New America positioned its survey questions to arrive at this specific recommendation. I don’t believe the average American understands the federal funding relationship to colleges.
What colleges have you attended?
